Lung cancer treatment is undergoing significant changes at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – University of Miami Health System. The center is implementing new pre-surgical protocols, expanding the use of immunotherapies, and increasing screening efforts to improve patient outcomes.
Diego Avella-Patino, M.D., a thoracic surgical oncologist at Sylvester, highlighted recent advancements in matching patients with appropriate therapies. “Our ability to match patients with the right therapy at the right time is improving dramatically,” Dr. Avella-Patino said. “In many cases, these strategies enable us to optimize the results and minimize the toxicity of treatments.”
Immunotherapy has become an important part of treating earlier-stage lung cancers at Sylvester. Recent studies indicate that adding pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, to chemotherapy before and after surgery extends survival for patients with surgically removable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dr. Avella-Patino explained, “This is a major shift. We’re now using immunotherapy before surgery and after surgery, not just after. This medication unleashes the patient’s immune cells to attack the cancer, and it leads to patients living longer.”
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has played a leading role in both research and clinical application of immunotherapy for lung cancer. According to Dr. Avella-Patino, “We have a lot of experience performing surgery in patients who have received immunotherapy. We’re probably among the top 5% of cancer centers nationwide in terms of the volume of these cases.” The team continues to build its research capacity, especially regarding how best to use immunotherapy for lung cancer.
Dr. Avella-Patino is also conducting tests on immunotherapies using preclinical models that closely reflect human biology. He stated, “We’re able to test what the right combination of treatments is, what the right timing is, to test new medications in these experimental models… Immunotherapy works, and we’ve seen a ton of benefits, but there are some side effects. We are working on optimizing the use of this treatment modality.”
Early detection remains crucial for improving lung cancer outcomes. In 2023, the American Cancer Society updated its guidelines by recommending annual low-dose CT scans for adults aged 50–80 with a history equivalent to smoking one pack per day for 20 years or two packs per day for 10 years—regardless of when they quit smoking. Dr. Avella-Patino commented on this change: “This was a big step forward. More people now qualify for screening, we can catch more cancers early, and we can potentially save more lives. Studies show that we save one life for about every 220 screening scans.” Despite this progress, only about 18% of eligible individuals currently receive recommended screenings.
Technological advances are also shaping future approaches to lung cancer care at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center:
Artificial intelligence will soon assist doctors in analyzing CT scans more quickly and accurately.
Research into liquid biopsies aims to develop blood tests that detect cancer markers or monitor treatment effectiveness.
“These tools aren’t standard yet, but we are using them and learning more about their pros and cons,” said Dr. Avella-Patino. “And we’re incorporating them into our care model.”
He concluded by emphasizing Sylvester’s leadership in advancing lung cancer care: “The team at Sylvester is leading the field in both surgical and medical treatment of lung cancer… The combination of new treatments, new diagnostic tools and broader screening is going to help us detect cancer earlier and diagnose it better. That will improve the outlook for this deadly disease.”
